Rig of the Month by ulrikov

Now, I know there's been a lot of things going on for the Lenten season. Because of such, things here in PinoyPC got a bit delayed on some releases. Well, I know it's a pathetic excuse for not posting on time... :)

Anyway, this month we're going to try out one of the most outstanding processors in the market - the Intel i5. Being a really good CPU, let's see how our budget fares in coming up with a budget-tight (but not horrible) entry-level gaming i5 setup.

*Components with +2.5% Cebu Gaisano Interpace**Prices as of April. 15, 2011; May change without further notice.***Based on Pricelists, call local store for availability.Motherboard Info

Intel i5 Processor (3.10 GHz)

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0

Supports USB 3.0

PURPOSE - Entry Level GamingWith the trend of the latest released games today whereby core efficiency and number is slowly becoming a factor, the Intel i5 2400 with 3.1 GHz of clock speed would certainly not disappoint the modern day gamer. This processor has been awarded by several websites for its utmost performance and exemplary efficiency. This Sandybridge-based CPU supports Intel's pride of their new Intel HD graphics and Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0. Now this may not seem to be much for an average PC user but this is something that would greatly affect your gaming experience in due time.

With a budget of currently a little over Php 35,000, we decided to pegged the video card to an Entry-Level type since this is after all an "Entry Level Gaming Setup". The Radeon HD5670 is one of the best GPU in its price field. With a price at Php 3,500, this certainly is a good way to have decent frame rates without being heavy on the pocket. This is why this video card was featured on our previous article. Our choice for motherboard was more or less being cornered by budget. So, we decided to get the H67-based ECS H67H2 which features hybrid graphics, USB 3.0, GigaLAN and pretty else much more. Nothing dandy really, just the thought of having a motherboard that supports the 2nd generation i5 processor is good enough. The other features are just some varnishing on the side.

Armed with one of the top performing CPUs in the market, this rig needs good ventilation and space. We decided (for the first time) to put this baby in rock solid chassis - the Thermaltake V4. The ample space provided by the V4 fits quite nice for future expansions. Powered by Coolermaster, this rig is SLI ready and suits quite fine for decent upgrades.

Overall, the only downside for this rig is that there is not much room for expansion especially on the memory side. But if you look at it from another point, 8gb of memory is more than enough to last you through the next 2 or 3 years. Although, this is just a minor setback for a rig which performs quite well and is...

CERTIFIED : PVP(Performance, Value and Practicability)

Thermaltake V4 Chassis

Corsair DDR3 Memory

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